Evaluation of Poverty Status and Time-Taken to Exit Poverty among Food Crop Farmers in Nigeria

Abstract

The study evaluated poverty status, its determinants and the time taken by crop farmers to opt out ofpoverty. Farm level data were collected from 427 arable crop farmers. Descriptive statistics, Foster-GreerThorbecke(FGT) and Probit regression models were used to analyze the data collected. Results of poverty statusrevealed that 64.4% of the sampled respondents were poor, while 35.6% were nonpoor. The value of the extent ofpoverty indicated that poverty incidence (P0), depth (P1) and severity (P2) were 0.644, 0.340 and 0.235respectively. This implies that the average poor respondents need 34.0% of the specified minimum bench mark toopt out of poverty. Furthermore, it will take 71 years for the poor to get out of poverty if their expenditure growthrate through farm income could be increased by 1% every year, but seven years if it is increased by 10%. Resultsof probit regression showed that farming experience, marital status, education, household income, access tohealthcare service and some unhealthy days were the main factors affecting poverty status in the area. Therefore, itwas concluded that there was presence of poverty among the farmers and intervention is needed through thegovernment to alleviate poverty in the area.